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<br />MR. TOMKY: I am Corky Tomky. I represent some of the regional land- <br />owners of the Weldon Valley. You asked the question, how many families <br />will be disp1aced? We have never been able to get an actual take line <br />of the dam. But generally there is about eight hundred and eighty some <br />people that will be displaced, about three hundred and fifty seven <br />families. <br /> <br />There is a school that has had an enrollment of a hundred and ninety- <br />seven students that will be ninety percent destroyed by the dam. <br /> <br />MR. JACKSON: Mr. Tomky, is the concern that the amount that you will <br />get will not be adequate to puchase similar lands? There have been no <br />appraisals, but do you have this feeling? <br /> <br />MR. TOMKY: The Bureau has informed us that we will receive a fair <br />market value. As you are aware in the state of Colorado the value of <br />irrigated land is extremely high at the present time. Our concern this <br />morning at the Bureau meeting was this - we cannot plan ahead in any <br />way, shape or form. You may come out today and offer us so much money, <br />but to go out and find an operation that will replace the operations <br />that are in the valley, as individuals you know, it's almost impossible. <br />It takes one, two, maybe three years to find a suitable situation. <br />Because in the valley it is not an area that is owned by a lot of outside <br />investors. It's been in families for as high as five generations out <br />in the valley. So they have never had any experience farming or looking <br />in any other area of the state. <br /> <br />We are looking at a dollar factor that we can't even consider. I <br />wouldn't want the Bureau to come and say, "I will give you so many <br />dollars for your farm today." I would rather have the Bureau go out and <br />find what I need and see if it would be acceptable to me. That is what <br />I would rather do, because we are going to have to do the leg work. <br />We are going to lose income. I've got to be farming to ,support my <br />family, but if I am out chasing around the state of Colorado looking for <br />land, how can I keep my operations and my income and my family satis- <br />fied? That is our prime concern and we have a lot of elderly people <br />that are living in the area because it I s cheaper to live there. They <br />have been there for years. Their homes aren't worth a lot ,of dollar <br />value, but to replace them or for them to move somewhere, you know, <br />within the area, it's almost impossible in this day and age. We are <br />very concerned about the land prices and how they will be taken care of. <br /> <br />MR. SPARKS: That leads to a very pertinent question, Mr. Hall. What is <br />the lead time that these people can expect to have from the time that <br />there is a negotiated price or condemnation until they actually have to <br />move? In some cases there is a lead time of several years because some <br />land is not actually required initially. <br /> <br />Do you have any idea how much lead time we are talking about between <br />the financial settlement and the time they actually have to move? <br /> <br />MR. HALL: It will depend, Mr. Sparks, upon the construction schedule. <br />Obviously there will be priorities placed upon the land where the dam is <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />-6- <br />